Why Jean Jacket From The Jordan Peele Movie Nope Is Much More Interesting If You View It As An Angel

Jordan Peele made a great alien movie in 2022 with Nope, but what if it wasn't an alien movie at all? What if it was actually about an angel?

Peele himself acknowledged on Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast that he modeled the final form of Jean Jacket on the angels from Neon Genesis Evangelion. But, he also mentioned how he didn't envision it to be a “literal” angel. However, as somebody who likes to wonder, yeah, but what if…I'm going to do the same for Nope.

As in, yeah, but what if Jean Jacket was a literal angel and not an alien? We've already covered what the ending of Nope might mean, and why Nope is a special kind of horror movie, but now, I want to speculate on how Nope would be different if it were about an angel, and not an alien.

First Of All, A Seraphim Is Literally Terrifying

Now, when I say an angel, I don't mean the kind that plays the harp and looks all-human-like. No. I actually mean Seraphims, which are found in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. They are often described as being some of the highest angels, and constantly singing God's praises.

That's cool, but wait until I describe them to you. They typically have six wings and might be entirely covered with eyes. Just try to picture that, and how otherworldly that would look if you encountered one in real life. Pretty terrifying, right?

Now, think of the final form of Jean Jacket, which looks to have several wings, a sort of heavenly eye, and a bulbous head, almost like a jellyfish. Sound vaguely familiar? And, I'm not the first person to make this connection, as there's a whole Reddit thread about how Jean Jacket resembles “a biblically accurate angel.”

Again, Peele is said to have modeled Jean Jacket from the angels from Neon Genesis Evangelion, which themselves share a resemblance with Seraphims. But, just think how the plot of Nope changes if this is an angel rather than an alien, which brings me to my next point.

The Idea Of Getting Footage Of An Angel Is Actually More Interesting Than Getting Proof Of A UFO

Not too long ago, I wrote about how John Carpenter was the king of the ‘80s. In fact, when we ranked the best horror movies of all time, we put The Thing at number 1. That said, it's not like Carpenter stopped making movies after the ‘80s.

In fact, in 2005, Carpenter had an episode on the anthology series Masters of Horror titled “Cigarette Burns,” which was about a film that showcased the sacrifice of an angel. Now, anybody who watched this film-within-a-film was driven insane. It’s a fascinating mini-movie from Carpenter, and I bring it up because it deals with the concept of filming an angel, and why that would be a no-no.

The conceit is that the human mind couldn’t comprehend seeing a celestial being, and that it would ultimately drive somebody crazy. With that said, I think it would be more interesting if Nope was about the filming of an angel rather than a UFO, because what would be bigger to humankind? Proof of extraterrestrial life, or proof of the afterlife?

This also puts the story in a different perspective if that’s what the Haywood siblings are trying to film. “Bad miracles” are brought up frequently in the movie, and an angel that feasts on people who look it in the eye (there go those eyes again) would make for an even scarier story.

Not Only That, But It Makes One Wonder If People Have Been Mistaking Divine Beings For Aliens Throughout History Within The Story

In the movie, Jean Jacket devours horses, people, you name it. Again, if you look it in the eye, it eats you. But I want to talk about “bad miracles” again. The film begins with a nickel striking the Haywood patriarch dead after falling from the sky. We also have the bizarre incident where Steven Yeun’s character, Ricky, survives a chimpanzee attack when he was a child.

The weird thing, though, was that a shoe stood on end when Ricky survived. But how? Well, it seems to be another “bad miracle,” which goes beyond scientific reasoning and into supernatural territory.

Now, the big twist in Nope is that what looks like a flying saucer is actually Jean Jacket's body. But what if all aliens within this world are actually just angels? This goes back to my last point that the human mind couldn’t comprehend seeing an angel. So, perhaps the reason Jean Jacket looks like a UFO at first is because that’s the only explanation the characters’ minds can process.

“Bad miracles” just seem like bizarre coincidences, but it’s only when people LOOK THE ALIEN IN THE EYE that their minds can finally make sense that what they’re seeing is not an alien at all, but rather, something greater. Food for thought.

Also, The Concept Of A Carnivorous Angel Makes The Story Much More Apocalyptic

Jordan Peele has never made a bad movie, and I love them all, especially Get Out, which is another movie that hits harder on repeat viewings. However, I find Nope to be Peele’s most fascinating work, since the religious subtext is all over it. For example, the film starts with the Bible verse from Nahum 3:6, which is “I will cast abominable filth upon you, make you vile, and make you a spectacle.”

Now, the whole “spectacle” thing makes sense, since everybody wants to make a spectacle of Jean Jacket. But, who or what is the Bible verse even referring to? Is it just in reference to the narrative itself? Well, maybe, but I like to think of it as being directed toward the Seraphim, Jean Jacket.

Remember, a Seraphim is supposed to be as close to God as possible. But, here one is (per my theory), on Earth, being filmed by mortals. It’s almost like Jean Jacket is being punished, and is taking out its anger on the people who are recording its shame of being so far away from God (Even hiding behind a cloud – a cloud symbolizing where Heaven traditionally is in stories).

This honestly makes the story feel a lot more apocalyptic, which makes it a lot scarier if you view the “alien” as an angry angel, wreaking havoc on humankind.

In The End, It’s Cool Coming Up With Different Interpretations For The Film

A million years ago, I overanalyzed the movie Inception by pondering what it would be like if it were analyzed by dream experts, and I’ve just done the same for Nope.

I mean, Peele himself said that Jean Jacket is not a “literal” angel, but so what? The cool thing about stories is that you can interpret them however you want, even if the creator himself didn’t intend it that way. Nope is already an excellent movie, but envisioning Jean Jacket as an angel is just more intriguing for me.

Plus, it just gives me another reason to rewatch it. Now, when I view it, I don't see it as Jordan Peele's alien movie. I see it as a story of Jordan Peele trying to make sense of the supernatural, even if it's by force.